Posts Tagged ‘Coming’

If you want to make money in an online business, then you need to find a product or service that is fresh, up-to-date and that hasn’t been beaten to death with hundreds of copy-cat affiliates. Web and video conferencing are relatively new applications, and becoming a reseller of online conferencing services could be a good way to start up or add to an already existing online business. Let’s take a look at the prospects for this type of online enterprise.

First of all, web and video conferencing is an up-and-coming field of activity. Business is becoming increasingly globalized and many companies now have staff or clients located in distant locations, sometimes in other countries or on other continents. Online meetings are being used by some of the leading enterprises, but there are many more organizations that have not even begun to take advantage of web or video conferencing.

This is a huge market waiting to be tapped, and with the increasing penetration of broadband use both in the workplace and at home, the market grows larger with each passing month.

Just as there are relatively few companies using web and video conferencing, there are comparatively few resellers or affiliate sellers of these services to compete with. If you would like to get into this business then you should do an online search for web conferencing resellers or affiliates, and choose a program that you can effectively handle.

Typically, affiliate programs for these kinds of services are easy to enter. In many cases all you have to do is sign up and get an affiliate code or url and paste it onto your website and you are in business. However, if you want to be an effective affiliate for web and video conferencing, or for that matter, any other product or service, the best way to sell it is by using it yourself and really knowing what it is all about. Only then can you truly recommend the product in a convincing way.

A step above an affiliate is to become a reseller. Usually this requires a comprehensive training in the web and video conferencing system and there may also be an entry fee attached to becoming a reseller. Whereas affiliates simply refer potential clients to the conferencing service, Resellers are responsible for signing up the clients themselves. The advantage though, is that a reseller is likely to get a higher percentage of the signup and monthly subscription fees paid to the conferencing service by his or her referred clients.
If you are successful as a reseller then you will earn a residual income for as long as the people signed-up by you subscribe to the conferencing service.

Whether you decide to become an affiliate or a reseller, the key to cashing in on the coming boom in online conferencing is to study the market, know the product thoroughly and then place it before your web visitors or mailing list audience in a compelling and convincing manner. Another key factor to success is to make a timely move, a product or service that is “new” today will be commonplace tomorrow.

The art of meetings has come a long way. It started with two people standing face-to-face to talk. It progressed to people from different place sitting down together in a boardroom to people in different places talking on a conference call at the same time. The pinnacle – so far – is taking those people in different places in a conference call, and adding video through their computers so they can both see and hear each other.

What if you are already using conference calls to save money? Why would you want to add video as well? On a conference call, you can hear the tones and inflections of your participants and gauge their demeanor, mood, and attitude. If a picture is worth a thousand words, how much is live video worth? You could be able to see the subtle expression changes in your participants and see what they really think. You could look them in the eye and know they will get the job done.

Another reason to do video conferences is to deal with a naughty human behavior trait almost everyone has: multi-tasking. When someone is talking on a conference call, the temptation is almost too great not to check your email, finish that memo, or look at your schedule for the day. We are probably all guilty of this at one time or another, but the tell-tale signs are there. We suddenly hear our name spoken on the conference call and are jerked away from an email and we say, “I’m sorry, could you repeat that? What was the question?”

While multi-tasking is an excellent skill to have, there is a time and a place for it. On a video conference, you can’t be looking away for long periods of time, or under your desk fixing those pesky wires. You – and your participants – are held accountable by video to stay in the moment and at the meeting. Studies have shown that video conferences extend participants attention span and allow much less distractions. This means that your meetings will be much more productive.

And let’s not deny it, having people from all around the world looking and talking to one another is just plain cool!

Once you’ve decided to take the next step to video conferencing, what equipment will you need? Of course there isn’t just one solution for every company. You’ll have to look at what kind of video conferences best serve your company’s needs.

The top of the line, full body or life-size from the chest up video conference experience fits nicely into the old saying, “You get what you pay for.” You will have the most realistic picture, no choppy pictures, no hang-ups and it will cost many thousands of dollars. Setups like these require dedicated T-1 lines, special equipment and monitors on ALL sides of the conference, and they cannot be moved.

Let’s look at other, more feasible options. If the quality and clearness of the view is your primary concern, you may want to consider a digital video camera. This would also be a good choice If you want to have an entire board room in your shots. These cameras are the more expensive choice, but electronics prices get more and more reasonable each day. Look for one that has USB or firewire outputs — faster than USB – and of course, can connect with online applications.

The final option for video conferencing is the webcam. Webcams are inexpensive – up to $200, but average is $30 – and easy to use. In fact, many laptops are being made with a webcam built-in. Your ideal webcam has 640×480 resolution, 30 Frames Per Second, and uses CCD technology. All of these specs will be listed on the side of the box. Webcams may be your ideal solution as their picture quality is good, they are inexpensive, and are easily transportable.

Video conferencing is not new, but the level of quality, expense, and ease of use are now such that it makes good sense to add it to your business arsenal.